Elevating mechanism for root harvesters



June. 23, 1925.-

o. H. MooRE BLEVATING IBOHANISI OR ROGT HARVESTERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1- Filed Oct. 9, 1925 `.lum 23', 1925.-' 1,543,180

o. H. MOORE ELBVAIING IECHANISII FGR ROOT HARVESTERS med oct. 9. 192s 5 sums-sheet s June 23,- 1925. 1,543,180

O. H. MOORE ELEVATING MECANISM FOR ROOT HARVESTERS Filed Oct. 9, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 23, 1925. 1,543,180

o. H. MOORE ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR ROOT HARVESTERS Filed oct. 9, i925 5 sheets-sheet s A AH A J l l@ "li: i .f A

' El/anfora- YQRNYQ M Km Nhmmx Patented June 23, 1925.

f UNITED STATES ORO H. MOORE, OF PAYSON, UTAH.

ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR ROOT HARVESTERS.

Application med october 9, 192s. serial No. 667.520.

To all w/wm may concern.'

Be it known thatV I, ORO H. MOORE, a citi-Zen of the United States, residing at Payson, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Elevating Mechanism for Root Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an elevating mechanism for use on machines for harvesting root crops such as sugar beets and potatoes, and has for its object the production of a simpler and more efficient means for elevating sugar beets, etc. into a wagon or to a sacking platform inthe case of potatoes, free from dirt. These ends areA Yaccomplished in the manner hereinafter set forth.

. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing the essential features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view to show the relation of the belt conveyor to the second elevating wheel; this gure also shows the flexible connection between the elevating mechanism and the frame of the machine, and as part of the deep flange of the wheel is broken away, the vanes or blades are vbetter shown.

Fig. 4 .is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, ofthe first elevating wheel, showing its relation to the Slat elevating track. Y

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the first elevating wheel, showing the fingers which force the beets, etc. off therwheel at the upper part thereof.

Many beet harvestersl have been devised and some manufactured, and there are pulling and topping devices which operate satisfactorily. There are none with which Iam acquainted in which the means for screening and elevating the'topped beets into a wagon function well. I have therefore linvented the device which forms the subject of this application to overcome the defects in such machines as are known to me.

My device is simple, has few moving parts and inasmuch as one of the elevating wheels serves also as a ground wheel for the machine, a saving in vweight is effected.

The same reference numerals are used to rrefer to the same parts throughout the drawings.

In Fig. 1 the reference numeral 1 designates the frame; 2 designates the revolving axle to which are secured the ground wheel 3, the first elevating wheel 4, and the second elevating wheel 5, all in such a manner that they must revolve with the axle. The numeral 7 represents the pulling or digging device, but inasmuch as this forms no part of my invention it is represented diagrammatically only,

The elevating wheel 4 has mounted on its periphery members 8 which are arranged with as many in each transversey row as may be desirable or necessary, there being any requisite number of the transverse rows. The members as they revolve pass between the slats 9 of the elevatingtrack. As will be noted, theseslats have a double hinge connection at 10 and 11 to allow for up and down movement of the sla-ts to compensate for irregularities in the surface of vthe ground. These slats extend from the pulling mechanism up around the rear part of the Velevating wheel a sufficient distance to prevent the beets from falling out of contact-with said wheel. It will be noted that the right hand side of the rim of this wheel,

as viewed from the front of lthe machine, f

has a greater diameter Vthan the left hand side, so that said rim is frusto-conical with the smaller end to the left, viewed as above.

When the beets have been forced up the slats by the members 8 a certain'distance, they. will fall down uponthe rim of the wheel whereupon, as the rim is inclined, theyl will slide olf'the wheel into the revolving screen 12, hereinafter described. That beets vare freed from dirt then delivered into wheel 5. y

Thismember is shown in Fig. y1 with its conioity exaggerated for purpose of illustration. By having the larger end of the screen to receive the beets they do not pass into wheel 5 so quickly and are therefore more thoroughly cleaned. A shield is prothe elevated beets` may not continue on the lil() vided on the lower side of the machine between screen 12 and the slats 9 and wheel 4 to prevent the beets from falling out upon the ground.

It may under some circumstances be de-V sirable to make the screen 12 cylindrical .or even reverse the conicity, but this l consider to be within the scope of my invention. e

As can better be seen by referring to Fig. 3 the wheel 5 is furnished interiorly with radially extending vanes 14 which serve to elevate the beets after they have been dropped into the bottom part of the wheel, and also serve to reinforce the rim of the s wheel. A deep flange extends radially from the rim of the wheel on each side thereof. An arcuate plate 16 is so arranged interiorly of the vanes that the beets can not fall out until the proper time.

A chute 17 is so placed that as the beets fall from the wheel 5 at the uppermost part thereof they are transferred to an endless cleated belt conveyor designated by the numeral 18, from which they may drop into a wagon or'into a row upon the ground. The above conveyor is driven by means of a gear wheel 19 keyed to the axle 2 which meshes witha pinion 2O keyed to a shaft bearing rollers over which the conveyor belt passes. The elevation of the outer end of the conveyor may be adjusted as desired by means of a small windlass 21 and cable 22. A shield 23 is placed on the underside of the outer end of the conveyor to prevent the cleats catching on the wagon or truck into which the beets may be loaded.

The numeral 25 designates a frame work which is secured to the members 9. This frame work is connected to the frame 1 in such a: way that it may have a limited movement both' back and forth and up and down to compensate for inequalities in the surface of the ground. This is achieved by permitting the vertical members of frame 2 5 to slide both vertically and horizontally between a strap 24 and the frame. Suspension `is accomplished through a cable 26 on each side and a spring 27 placed midway of the frame.

It will readily be perceived that the operation of mydevice is as follows:

Pressure of the earth and beets as they are lifted upand back over the pullers forces the beets upon the lower anterior ends of the slats 9 of the elevating track, along which they are forced by the members 8 as the wheel 4 revolves until they are sufficiently ,high that when they drop they will fall upon the conical surface of wheel 4 and thence slide into the screen 12, where they c n \Y are freed from dirt and then passed 1nto= wheel 5 where they are lifted up, dropped into chute 17 down which they slide upon the conveyor 18.

A clutch or similarly acting device for throwingthe wheel 4 into and out of gear is provided so that its rotation may be stopped while turning the machine at the ends of the rows.

l claim 1. ln an elevating mechanism for a harvesting machine, an elevating wheel, a screen, and a second elevating wheel, the screen being between the two said wheels.

2. ln an elevating mechanism for a harvesting machine, an elevating' wheel, an elevating track, a screen, a second. elevating wheel, the said track being adjacent the firstA of said wheels, and the screen between the two said wheels, one of said elevating wheels serving as a ground wheel for the machine.

3. In an elevating mechanism for a han' vesting machine, two elevating wheels, an elevating track composed of slats,iand a rotating screen, one of said elevating wheels .i

said screen being so placed between the two e said elevating wheels that the material elevated by the first wheel is conveyed to the second wheel, except suchas is suiiciently small to pass out through said screen.

4. In an elevating mechanism for a harvesting machine, two elevating wheels, elevating track made up of slats, a 'frustoconical screen, and a revolving axle, -the two of said wheels andv said screen being `concentric with said axle, one of said'V wheels and said screen being drivenby said axle,"tlie said screen beingplaced between-the said elevating wheels, and the said elevating track being arranged substantially concentrically with one of said elevating wheels, which wheel is provided' with projecting members kwhich pass between said slatsas said wheel revolves, the said screenfso arranged as to receive from the said *elevatingV wheel the material elevated'thereby and conveying all except the smaller particles of said material to the other elevating wheel, which second elevating wheel is provided at its periphery witlrdeep llateral radially inwardly extendllO ing flangesand radially inwardlyextending rial elevated from falling from said wheel i until the proper time. Y.

ORO H. MOORE, 

